The rapid advancement of digital technology in recent decades has transformed the global economic landscape.
Digital marketing has become one of the fastest-growing sectors, offering companies great opportunities to reach a wider audience through digital platforms.
However, behind this great potential, there is a need for better regulation to ensure that the sector does not harm consumers and operates with fairness and transparency.
This issue was raised during the Higher Education and the Role for Blue Economy Enhancement seminar, which was held on Tuesday (Feb. 11) at the Faculty of Law, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FH UGM).
The seminar, organized to celebrate the 79th anniversary of FH UGM, featured two speakers: Professor Sybe de Vries, a digital economics professor from Utrecht University, Netherlands, and Dr. Raquel Lorenz Coasta, a consultant for marine literacy and the UNESCO Blue School Initiative from Lisbon University, Portugal.
Professor Vries stated that digital marketing is about selling products or services and how we interact with consumers online.
“How their data is used, and how we can ensure that consumers’ rights remain protected,” he said clearly.
He highlighted several key challenges faced by the European Union in regulating digital marketing, including consumer data protection and privacy, ethical marketing regulations, and the dynamics of the global digital market.
“In the digital world, geographical boundaries become blurred. Therefore, the EU’s digital marketing policies need to consider their global impact, both in terms of consumer protection and market competition,” he explained.
Furthermore, Professor Vries emphasized the importance of collaboration among EU member states to create comprehensive and harmonious policies to address issues arising from digital technology advancements.
He also underscored the need for stricter oversight of large digital platforms that dominate the global market, such as Google, Meta, and Amazon, which influence how consumers interact with digital marketing.
He hopes that developing countries like Indonesia can learn from the EU policies implemented and adjust them to their local cultural context.
“Every country has different challenges and characteristics, but basic principles such as consumer protection and market fairness must always be upheld,” he stressed.
From a different perspective related to the blue economy and the oceans, Dr. Raquel Lorenz Coasta began her discussion by emphasizing that higher education has a significant responsibility in developing an understanding of marine literacy and how academic institutions can contribute to a sea-based economy.
“Higher education plays a vital role in shaping policies, research, and innovations that support the sustainability of marine ecosystems,” she said.
She further explained that the concept of the blue economy is not just about utilizing marine resources for economic purposes but also about making this utilization sustainable while considering ecosystem balance.
“We need to prioritize a science-based approach in managing marine resources, including in sectors like fisheries, marine tourism, and renewable energy from the ocean,” she added.
The seminar, attended by academics, students, practitioners, and civil society interested in maritime issues and policies, featured interactive discussions between participants and speakers.
These discussions generated new insights into how higher education can raise awareness and drive innovation in the blue economy through responsible digital marketing.
In her opening speech, Dr. Dahliana Hasan, the Dean of FH UGM, stated that this international seminar on consumer data protection and the blue economy in the European Union is part of academic efforts to provide broader insights to students and the public regarding the importance of sustainable marine resource management.
“We hope that this discussion will open opportunities for further collaboration between academics, the government, and other stakeholders to support a sustainable blue economy,” she said.
She emphasized that this international seminar marks the FH UGM’s commitment to presenting academic studies relevant to global issues, particularly in supporting wise marine resource management for the collective welfare.
Author: Bolivia Rahmawati
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Afifudin Baliya
Photos by: FH UGM